The religion of Star Wars

May the Force be with you:Star Wars
has made around $7.5 billion at the box office since 1977.

What can Star Wars teach us about religion? Behind the explosions and high-speed chases, there is a fascinating mythology…

Hang on… Star Wars isn’t a religion!

Actually, it sort of is: 176,632 people listed “Jedi” as their religion on the
2011 census
for England and Wales. In the USA, the “Temple of the Jedi Order” is a registered church whose followers believe “in the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it”.

However, that is not what we are talking about today. We are talking about the fictional religion, and how it operates in the
Star Wars
movies.

Erm, why?

For one thing, the final trailer for
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
is out. This ninth and last
Star Wars
movie will be in cinemas from 20 December.

But also because
Star Wars
was partly created to explore religion. In 1999, its creator, George Lucas, told
Time
magazine that he wanted to “try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people”. This was not the same as any of the religions practised on our home planet, but “more a belief in God [...]. I wanted to make it so that young people would begin to ask questions about the mystery”.

Is God real in Star Wars?

Not in the way that most people are used to thinking of God, as the creator of the Universe. Instead, characters in
Star Wars
talk about “the Force”, a
transcendent
mystical energy which surrounds everyone and everything. The Force is neither good nor bad, but it does have a dark side and a light side.

Those who are trained to use the dark side of the Force are called Sith (think Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine), and those who use the light side are called Jedi (Obi-Wan Kenobi or Luke Skywalker).

Is it a bit like Buddhism?

There are some Buddhist elements, such as the idea that everything in the Universe is
interconnected.

There is also the fact that people who use the Force practise a kind of meditation, in which they empty their minds of emotion in order to “become one with the force”.

The belief that the Force has a dark and light side is also similar to the Chinese religion of
Taoism, most famous for its yin and yang symbol.

Is Jediism anything like Christianity?

The language of light and darkness is very Christian, as are the stories of sacrifice and
redemption
which permeate the
Star Wars
movies.

Then again, Jews and Muslims also identify with elements of the religion in
Star Wars. For example, the name “Yoda” means “one who knows” in Hebrew. Meanwhile, Sufi Muslims would recognise Jediism as “futuwwat”, or “the way of the mystic warrior”.

In other words, the Force is an amalgamation of many different religious ideas. According to author Chris Taylor, it is “so well suited to our times precisely because it is so bereft of detail”.

How do people become a Jedi?

This is where
Star Wars
diverts from major religions on Earth. In
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, it is explained that human cells contain tiny intelligent life forms called midi-chlorians. People who possess a lot of midi-chlorians are particularly sensitive to the Force, and can learn to control it. This adds a biological element to the religion.

If you
can
use the Force, it is up to you whether you embrace the light side and become a Jedi, or go to the dark side and become a Sith.

Does everyone believe in it?

No. In fact, those who do are often in the minority. In
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Han Solo insists, “There’s no mystical energy field that controls my destiny!”

This is because, as discovered in the prequels, the Jedi order has been wiped out and suppressed by the evil empire. And that is another way that Jediism echoes Christianity: it is a religion that is struggling to survive in an increasingly secular world.

You Decide

Does
Star Wars
show religion and belief in a positive light?

Activities

Imagine that the world of
Star Wars
is real, and that you live in that galaxy far, far away. Write down 10 commandments for Jedi and believers of the Force to follow.

Word Watch

The number of Jedi in the UK was even higher in the 2001 census, when it reached 390,127 people. However, it is unclear how many of these took the “religion” seriously.

Transcendent

Something beyond the normal human experience of the physical world. Or, as Yoda puts it: “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.”

Interconnected

Buddhism teaches that all life is connected. In
Star Wars, everything is connected by the Force. In fact,
Star Wars
goes one further: the Force is created by life, just as living things use and control it. The relationship is symbiotic.

Taoism

An ancient Chinese religion and philosophy which emphasises “Tao”, a natural order of the universe.

Redemption

Some have noted that the core of
Star Wars
is a reversal of the Jesus-like “chosen one” narrative: as a boy, Anakin had a special affinity for the Force but instead of doing good, he turns to the dark side and is redeemed by his son, Luke.

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